Cats!

To quote Chandler Bing - it's people, dressed like cats, acting like people!

I have always wanted to see Cats and I was not let down. Interestingly, it was very much like an opera and not very much like a musical at all. The costumes were spectacular but it was the dancing that was mind bending. How the ensemble managed to dance like that and sing defies the limits of the human body.

The singing itself was ok, but not stellar. The CD is still the mark to measure against. Both Ryan and I wondered if they just turned the volume up for Grizabella's song "Memory". I think seeing it once will be fine, not like Wicked that I can see over and over again, but I'm so glad that I did see it.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

This was our first show at the ACT and wow! We were totally blown away by this production and our first thought was geesh- why did we waste a season at the Rep? (Sorry Rep but it's true). The ACT is our kind of theater.

While there was no set as the theater is in the round, and the minimal set pieces were unobtrusive but it was the acting and staging that stole the show. With four different actors playing Mr. Hyde (including a woman) the performance was just mesmerizing. I don't want to give anything away, but this is a must see. With simple yet effective costume techniques Mr. Hyde comes out with a flip of a cape to revel the bright orange lining underneath, and a rotation of cast members that somehow keep all the parts clear. We can't wait for the next show.

Our 8th Anniversary & The Rat Pack Live at the Sands

We finally got to Portland to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. We stayed at this great hotel called the Benson within walking distance to Powell's and Voodoo Doughnuts.

But the highlight of our trip was to seeing The Rat Pack Live at the Sands.

"With a talented cast and 15-piece orchestra, take a trip back to the glamorous, hot, glitzy nights of Las Vegas. Experience Frank, Sammy & Dean’s world famous classic recordings and more in this sensationally staged production that brings the music and lives of these legendary characters together again."

This show was amazing! It was like going back in time and watching Frank, Dean and Sammie vamping with the crowd and drinking their way through a show! These guys had the mannerisms and voices to match the icons they portrayed. The actor playing Sammie Davies Jr. could do the dancing and physical comedy as well.

We would highly recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of the Rat Pack. The only negative to the show was the auditorium itself. Portland is a much mellower audience (it turned out for the best that Ryan forgot his cuff links for his tux) but they were selling peanuts in bags to take into the theater!!! What is it, the circus????

After the show we went to a steak house which was incredible, but dear god the portions were huge! Everything was so supersized that the 16oz steak was considered small and we shared it.

All and all it was a lovely celebration of our wedding anniversary.

Wishful Drinking

This was our last show at the Rep, and very good. Carrie Fisher did a one woman monologue for two hours and was highly entertaining. I think my favorite part was "Hollywood Inbreeding 101" where Carrie goes through the twisted branches of her family tree. The analogy of her father Eddie Fisher = Brad Pitt, her mother Debbie Reynolds = Jennifer Aniston and Elizabeth Taylor = Angelina Jolie. That makes things crystal clear!

Her frank talk about mental illness, family dysfunction and living in Hollywood was enlightening.

The story about how her mother was locked in the closet at age 6 by her grandmother and after a few hours asked for a glass of water. Her mother asked her why. Debbie Reynolds responded that she had used up all her spit spitting on her mother's dresses and she wanted to spit on her mother's shoes! Carrie asked her about this one time, and her grandmother replied that they didn't know about parenting back then.

There were fun Star Wars facts (like George Lucus doesn't allow underwear in space) and how disconcerting it is to have your likeness used for everything from a pez dispenser and screw off head shampoo bottle.

Hello, Dolly!

We were excited to see Hello, Dolly for two reasons. 1. Pat Cashman (that high fiven' white guy!) 2. WALL-E.

Costumes: 5 stars

Actors/Actresses: 5 stars (we especially were impressed with Suzanne Bouchard)

Sets: 5 stars

Dancing: 5+ stars!

Music: 5 stars

Why didn't we like it more? The plot! It was pretty meh...neither of us felt that Dolly and Horace should end up getting hitched. But It Only Takes a Moment between the widowed hat maker and the feed clerk did. But they at least spent all day together! Which is more than Dolly ever did with her new husband to be! 

Verdict, I think snuggling up with the Michael Crawford movie version would serve just as well. Plus you can turn it off if the plot isn't doing it for you either.

Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland

The awesome friends that invited us to Moisturefest also invited us to the Triple Door to see Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland for Jenn's birthday. It was amazing! We had mirror Aliceses (one blond, one black haired) with opposite black and white costumes. Once both Aliceses are through the looking glass they end up at the White Rabbit's club where we are entertained. By the end when we pretty much saw everything and it was surprising just how identical the two artists were! 

We felt like we were at the Sands in the 50s or 60s which was loads of fun. Not all the acts took it all off, and those were just as mesmerizing. Our favorites were:

• The Caterpillar had the TriBellas underneath who also had these amazing mushroom costumes. 
  
• The Cheshire Cat who started out in a buff man thong and slowly got dressed
  
• The Red and White Queens battling
  
• The waitress EatMe who sounded like Dr. Girlfriend 
• The Flamingos (the TriBellas again)
• The Tigerlily (who made her pasties go in opposite directions at the same time!)

The Seafarer

The Seafarer was dark, depressing and drunk. Very Irish. The main characher was very hard to like once we found out he beat someone to death.

But he beat the Devil in a game of cards on Christmas Eve and was conveniently let out of jail scott free. 20 years have passed and the Devil is back to collect his soul.

Lots of drinking, arguing and cards are played and in the end the Devil slinks off. But it was a heck of a ride getting there. 

The husband enjoyed this far more than I did, (a little to dark and drunk for the Disney Princess loving gal that I am) but I will admit the the set was great. The artistic director managed to create a house, yard and street for all the action to take place on.